Boiler



(No Modem 2 Sheets-Sheetl.- T. E. BUTTON.

BOILBR. No. 567,940.

Patented Sept.l5, '1896.

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K (No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheetl 2.

T.E.BUTT0N. BOILER.

No. 567,94o l -Patemdsepn 15, 1896.

NiTED `STATI-3s FFICE.,

THEODOREE. BUTTON, OF SOI-IENEOTADY, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TOCHARLES R. BUTTON, OF VVATERFORD, NEW YORK.

BOILER.l

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters PatentNo.567,940, dated September15, 1896. Application filed December 13, 1893. SSTalNm 493,537. (N0model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE E. BUTTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, and

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBoilers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to such improvements 5 and it consists of the novelconstruction and 1o combination of parts hereinafter described andsubsequently claimed.

Reference maybe had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several iigures therein.

My present application relates to improvel ments in the constructionshown and de- 2o scribed in United States Patent No. 459,561, issued toT. E. Button and O. R. Button September 15, 1891, to which patentreference may be had. In the patented construc tion a water-legsurrounding the furnace or 2 5 combustion-chamber was formed byconnecting a series of water-loops at their upper ends with thecrown-sheet, so that the loops communicated with the interior of thedome, the lower closed ends of the individual loops 3o being supportedlaterally by an inclosing flange projecting upward from the base-castingin the same way that` the staves of a barrel are supported by the hoops.The connection between the individual loops and 3 5 the crown-sheet wasmade by inserting their contracted screw-threaded ends insimilarlythreaded apertures in the crown-sheet. I have ascertained thatin practice it is a difiicult and expensive operation to thus con- 4oneet the loops with the crown-sheet. A slight variation in the directionof the axial lines of the screw-threaded parts would make a considerablevariation in the position of their lower ends, which latter variationcould be 4 5 overcome only by springing the lower ends of the dependingloops into position to engage each other and be supported by thebase-flange before mentioned. Imperfections in the castings, such asthickening of a particular part, would also necessitate spring-` ing aloop to get it in position to be supportedby the base-ange. If theimperfection should be considerable, such springing strain would besuflicient to break the loop or cause it to fracture when subjected toheat in use.

In my improved construction I connect the upper end of each loop sectionwith the crown-sheet by a ball-and-socket joint, which enables me toswing the lower end of the 6o loop to the desired position to engage thesupporting base-flange without any lateral strain upon the loop, wherebyI am able not only to quickly assemble the parts in perfect adjustment,but to do so without subjecting anyof them to dangerous strains.

As a further improvement I find that by employing a bolt connectionbetween the loops and crown-sheet, instead of the screwthreadedconnection shown in the patented 7o construction, I am able to provide aplurality of water-loops in a single casting, thereby largely reducingthe number of parts and joints. lSuch a casting I term a loop-section.IVhen two rows of loops are employed, as shown in the patentedconstruction, it would be impracticable to have more than one loop in asection which required to be rotated on its longitudinal axis to screwit into the crown-sheet, because, with neighbor- 8o ing loops on threesides within the arc described by its rotary movement, they could notall be so placed as to afford the necessary rotary movement. To separatethe sections sufficiently to permit such rotary movement 8 5 wouldrequire too much room and render the device impracticable for thepurposes intended; but when the loop-sections are connected with thedome by a joint, which can be made tight by drawing the parts together9o with bolts and without rotating the sections, there is no limit tothe cross-sectional form of the sections or relative arrangement andcombination of individual loops in a section.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a central vertical section of myimproved boiler. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of theball-andsocket connection between the loopsection and the crown-sheet.Fig. 3 is. a horizontal section ot the boiler, vtaken on the 10o brokenline 3 3 in Fig. 1, viewed in the direction oi' the arrow, a portiononly of the loopsectionsbeing inserted.\ Fig. iis an enlarged view inelevation of the inner side of one of the loop-sections forming theouter shell or wall of the device.

Ais the dome, and B the subjacent furnace. The base of the furnacecomprises the ashpit D, the horizontal flue D@ and the escapeliue D2.The furnace is 'provided with a fireboX composed of a circular row ofloop-sections B, depending from the crown-sheet or diaphragm A', and thegrate B2, surrounded by the lower portions of such sections. Theloop-sections B communicate at their upper ends with the interior of thedome and are provided with the web (t, which iills the space between thebranches of each loop-section to the height of the lire-box. The severalloopsections B also have lapping flanges Z) on their neighboring sidesextending to the height of the fire-box, thereby forming a continuousfire-box wall.

The loop-sections forming the fire-box wall are inclosed by a wall orwater-leg composed of a series or row of water-loop sections B4,extending around the same. These loop-sections also depend from thecrown-sheet and communicate at their upper ends with the interior of thedome. The branches of these loop-sections are triangular incross-section and arranged with one side of each branch continuous withone side of each of its supplementing branches in the section. The outerwall of each loop-section B4 is thus unbroken and. plain, while itsinner wall is indented, due to the triangular form of the branches.These loop-sections are also provided with lapping edge flanges Zi',extending throughout the length of their neighboring sides. The upperend of each loop-section is provided with a spherical seating-surfaceB5, surrounding the opening in the end of the section and adapted to beinserted in and fit a socket BG in the under side of the crown-sheet.The walls of the socket or seat B6 surround an aperture in thecrown-sheet through which the interior of the loop-section communicateswith the interior of the dome, and such walls are given the same degreeof curvature as the spherical seating-surface on the end of theloop-section, whereby the engaging curved seating-surfaces form aballand-socket joint between the loop-section and crown-sheet. Thejoined parts are securely held in engagement with each other by means ofthe coupling link or bolt C, screw-threaded at its ends and having itslower end screwed into a threaded socket B7, located centrally in theupper open end or mouth of the loopsection. The upper end of the boltpasses through an aperture in the top wall of the dome, and is providedwith a nut C', which bears upon the outer side of such wall. The nut hasa spherical seating-surface C:2 on its under side, and the nut-engagingsurface on the dome-wall is curved. to conform thereto, whereby aball-and-socket joint is formed beh tween the nut and dome.

By employing a ball-and-socket connection I am able to maintain asteam-tight joint between the parts while permitting a limitedadjustment of the body of the loop-section, and as I do not depend uponthe screwthreaded parts to form' steam-tight joints the threads on suchparts can be made with less care and accuracy and the threaded portionscan fit together loosely.

The threaded portions being all of small diameter, the threads can beformed thereon with sufficient accuracy much more easily than upon theouter side of the contracted end of the loop-section, as in my formerpatented construction.

The loop-sections are secured to the crownsheet, each section beingproperly placed and adjusted with its lower end in engagement with andsupported laterally by a flange E on the base-casting E of the furnaceand in a position such that its edge flanges will lap and engage theedge flanges on the neighboring loop-sections. Vhen so adjusted, theloop-sections are rigidly secured to the crownsheet by means of thescrew-bolt and nut, the ball-and-socket joints forming steamtightconnections between the parts in any position they may assume relativelyto each other, due to the adjustment of the lower end of theloop-section.

I have shown each loop-section made up of two loops or four branches,but the size and number of loops are limited only by the facilities forcasting the same and the size and form of the furnace.

I have shown the hre-box and furnacewalls,formed of the loopsections,ofa circular form; but the sections may be arranged to make such wallsrectangular or of other desired form.

By my improved construction the number of joints can be reduced to theminimum, thereby reducing the oost of construction and increasing theefficiency and durability of the boiler. The loops are closed at theirlower ends, and four or more branches in a single casting or section areconnected by a single joint, common to each branch, with the steam-dome.There are therefore only one-eighth as many joints to leak, or liable toleak, as there would be if each branch had a joint at each end. Vhensuch joints are made by passing a rod-bolt through each branch open atboth ends, some of the numerous and necessarily ill-fitting joints aresure to leak at once or soon after use. The long rod-bolts within thebranches also considerably diminish the water-space and impede the watercirculation. By closing the lower ends of the four or more branches ofmy improved water-circulating loop-section,

and having their upper ends open to a com-' mon singlejoint connection,I am able to successfully connect the section by a single short bolt,seated in the upper open end of the loop-section, with the crown-sheetof the boiler, as hereinbefore described. The bolt IOO IIO

was@ e l. In a boiler comprising a dome and subjacent heating-furnace,the combination with -the crown-sheet of the dome, of an inner and anouter water-leg com posed of water-loop sections having a plurality ofwaterloops in each section severally closed at one end and open to asingle joint connection at the other end, and bolt connections betweenthe open ends of the several vwater-loop sections and the crown-sheet,substantially as described.

2. A water-circulating loop-section having a plurality of water-loops ina single integral casting severally closed at one en-d and open to asingle joint connection at the other end, and provided at its open endwith a bolt-seat,

whereby the section is adapted to be connected with the steam-chamberand supported by a bolt connection at one end only, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a boiler comprising a dome and subjacent heating-furnace, thecombination with the crown-sheet of the dome, of a series of dependingwater-loops, a lateral support for the lower ends of the loops, andball-andsocket connections between the crown-sheet and loops,substantially as described.

4. In a boiler, the combination with the crown-sheet and dome-wall, of awater-circulating loop depending from the crown-sheet and provided witha bolt-socket, of .a bolt secured in the loop socket and projectingthrough the dome-wall, a nut screwed upon the projecting end of thebolt, and ball-andsocket connections between the loop and crown-sheet,and the nut and dome-wall, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof i I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day ofDecember, 1893.

THEODORE E. BUTTUN.

l/Vitnesses:

GEO. A. MosHER, WM. H. HoLLIs'rER, Jr.

